As mentioned in the parent application, previous acne treatments were based upon the topical treatment of the lesions with benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide compositions upon hydrolysis, on contact with tissue fluids or under adverse storage conditions, release oxygen and form benzoic acid. The latter is a strong keratolytic agent, irritating and drying the skin and causing exfoliation. In acne the skin is sensitive and sensitized. Such heroic insults can be avoided by the use of the present invention.
In my original application, I described the method of treating acne and related topical skin conditions caused by microbial infestations comprising the topical application of ozonides of an olefin of the formula ##STR1## wherein:
R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 may be hydrogen or: ##STR2## where R.sub.5 =(CH.sub.2).sub.n --CH.sub.3 and
n=an integer from 0 to 12;
with R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 being any value given for R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 with the proviso that R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 cannot both equal H and also R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 cannot both equal H.
Specifically mentioned were the ozonides of olive oil, sesame oil, castor oil, peanut oil and jojoba oil. The ozonides of these unsaturated fixed oils from animal and vegetable sources: olive, sesame, corn and peanut oils, are based on the regular food and fixed oils that are glyceryl esters of the naturally occurring mixed fatty acids in the range C.sub.14 to C.sub.18. Olive oil for example contains about 25% tristearin, 75% triolein, and about 5% trilinolein. The other glyceryl esters contain more or less the same fatty acid glycerides but in different proportions. Castor oil is slightly different in that it also contains the glyceryl ester of a hydroxy acid of similar chain length. It is primarily glyceryl triricinoleate. Ricinoleic acid is a hydroxyoleic acid.
Jojoba oil differs from all of the above in that it is a wax, albeit, a liquid wax, i.e., one mole of a long chain olefinic fatty alcohol esterified with one mole of a long chain olefinic fatty acid. It is composed almost entirely of esters of high molecular weight (C.sub.18-24), straight chain monoethylenic acids and monoethylenic alcohols, for example, erucyl 11-cis-eicosenoate of the formula--CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.7 CH.dbd.CH(CH.sub.2).sub.12 --o--CO(CH.sub.2).sub.9 CH.dbd.CH(CH.sub.2).sub.7 CH.sub.3.
These unsaturated acids are a mixture of cis-11-eico-senoic (C.sub.20) and cis-13-docosenoic (C.sub.22) erucic, with small quantities of oleic (C.sub.18) and nervonic (C.sub.24) acids. The unsaturated alcohols are a mixture of cis-11-eicosenol, cis-13-docosenol and cis-15 tetrocosenol, with small quantities of alcohols of lower molecular weight. Note that all the alcohols and acids are primarily of the cis configuration.
The conventional position for a double bond in other natural fats or oils composed of C.sub.18 acids is .DELTA.9 i.e. between carbon 9 and 10 of each of the fatty acids, but jojoba oil has mainly .DELTA.11 and .DELTA.13 unsaturation in the alcohols and acids, because of the large amount of C.sub.20 and C.sub.22 chains. All of the jojoba monoenes can be placed in the .omega.-9 acids or .omega.9 alcohols homologous series.
In the method aspects of the allowed parent application the acne lesions are contacted with the above-mentioned oil and wax derived ozonides. These, on contact with the sebaceous secretions, hydrolyze to liberate nascent oxygen and the triglyceride base oil and its fractions. The oxygen destroys, or at least inhibits the growth of any anaerobic bacteria and other microbial acne infection sources and the base oil residue acts as a liquifying emollient.
However the ozonide of the glyceryl esters are not very stable. The glyceryl ester ozonides, i.e., vegetable oil ozonides, are all liquid at ambient temperature and have stability periods that are inadequate for commercial distribution and use purposes. In the presence of light and even traces of moisture the glyceryl oil-based ozonides break down releasing the oxygen which also oxidizes the ozone-opened olefinic linkages, breaking the long chain to shorter chain fractions of shorter chain fatty acids (C.sub.6-10) and oxidized ketones of the fatty glycerides. As a result, rancidity develops creating very objectionable odors.